4 Mistakes Jobseekers Make

Photo by Erin

I want the best for job seekers, those who use my career marketing services, those who use my colleagues’ services, and those who choose to go it alone. I love Margo Rose’s #HireFriday concept. Margo has opened the door for so many job seekers to get in front of people who could be their next employer.

But as I said in the post I wrote for HRMargo:

As I have watched job seekers put themselves out there on #HireFriday, I have seen some so ready for the opportunity and others, well… not so ready. Just like in the traditional job search, if you are pushing yourself out there with a low-level résumé and no strategy for what to say when you are contacted by a potential employer, you will end up disappointed.

What signs do I see that make job seekers less likely to be chosen?

1. → Leave out dreaded dinosaur terms, “responsible for”, which I covered in my post, “Is there a dinosaur in your resume?” When I look at someone’s resume or LinkedIn profile and see those words, I cringe, much like the sound of fingernails on a blackboard. Resumes and now the related LinkedIn profile and other bios on social media must speak with the active voice.

2. → Don’t waste space by positioning your headings in a left column and starting the content in a column two inches into the page. This format makes you look dated and doesn’t let you have full use of the space on the resume. You can left-justify your headings or center them but don’t let them take the valuable real estate on the side of the resume.

3. → Replace lengthy, boring objective statements: “I want a challenging position in the field of blah-blah-blah, that I can grow and find opportunities for career growth…” Outdated and me-focused, professional resume writers have turned to banner headlines that speak exactly what the objective is: Financial Services Analyst / Associate and subheadings like Mergers & Acquisitions / Securities & Investments / Research & Compliance. Or perhaps a graphic banner:

4. → Often missing in resumes is a profile, something to engage the reader right off the bat and let them know the value of the candidate. See this one:

Innovative, Proactive Construction Management Professional with extensive experience in directing high producing teams as well as heavy equipment operation. Significant experience in instruction and teaching. In 2006, trained 45 personnel from DoD active, Guard, and Reserve military units. Project-oriented, skilled at multi-tasking and managing multiple projects simultaneously with a vision for results. Driven for tangible accomplishments with an equal drive for quality control. Highly analytical, with strong problem-solving and troubleshooting skills, always seeking new ways to solve old problems. Drilling expert; evaluated costs / labor / manpower estimates for wells in Spain / Haiti.

Or

Results-oriented, customer service-focused executive, with a 15 year track record of driving innovative revenue-producing strategies and products for one of the top Fortune 500 banks in America. Organized professional with the ability to conceptualize, analyze, and see both profitability and customer service sides of issues. Repeatedly took on new challenges and delivered creditable and impressive results to senior leadership. Committed to excellence, extending to relationship building, inspiring team members, and gaining the respect of others.

To succeed in your job search or #HireFriday, you need to market the product.

What product? YOU (the job seeker) are the product in the job search.